History Matters by Canadian Institute for Historical Education J.D.M. Stewart on The Prime Ministers
Host Allan Williams welcomes J D M James Stewart, author, broadcaster, podcaster, and veteran teacher, to discuss The Prime Ministers, Canada’s Leaders and the Nation They Shaped Sutherland House, 2025. They revisit R B Bennett’s reputation in the shadow of the Depression, examine Mackenzie King’s wartime stewardship, and consider how crisis, longevity, and electoral success drive rankings that often place King, Macdonald, and Laurier at the top. Stewart outlines his research approach using Hansard, press archives, and landmark biographies, and argues that the Indigenous file crosses every PM’s desk far more than most surveys acknowledge.
The episode widens to the challenge of historical literacy in Canada, highlighting the roles of schools, public broadcasters, film, heritage organizations, and publishers, without maple washing the past. Human details, from King’s diaries to Chretien and Clinton’s rapport, keep the story grounded in people as well as policy.
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